Dispensing container with puncturing means for sealed cans



1951 E. A. ABRAHAM DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH PUNCTURING MEANS FOR SEALEDCANS Filed on. 9, 1947 INVENTOIR. iqr/ flirazdm, BY M I w 77 PatentedNov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING CONTAINER WITHPUNCTUR- ING MEANS FOR SEALED CANS Earl A.- Abraham, Detroit, Mich.Application ctober9, 1947,:Serial 110,778,903

rclaims. (o1. 222 ss.5)

. This invention relates to an attractive container for hermeticallysealed cans, which acts as .an opener, dispenser, and seal .for a candisposed therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide a container of theaforementioned type which is especially attractive in appearance so thatit may be placed on a dining table so as to alleviate the objection tothe use of an unsightly can .on a dining table.

A further object-of this invention is to provide a container of theaforementioned type employing relatively simple and inexpensive meansfor sealing and dispensing the contents of the can,

A still further object .of this invention .is to provide, in a containerof the aforementioned type, means for piercing and puncturing .a canwhen the latter is disposed within the container. A still furtherobjectof this invention is to provide a container of the aforementioned typein which the means forpuncturing the can and the dispensing and sealingmeans co-operate so as to detachably secure each other to the top coverof the container so that they may be removed from said cover and washed,thereby providing an especially sanitary device.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a container anddispensing device of .the aforementioned type which is relatively simpleinconstruction and more efiicient in operation than any heretofore knownin the art.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the container and dispensingdevice of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view of the container and dispensingdevice embracing a-can, prior to the puncturing of the latter; v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional .view of the structure illustrated inFig. 2 taken along the line 4-4 thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the structure illustrated inFig. 2 taken .along the line 5-5 thereof. v Referring now to thedrawing, it will be seen, that a container is generally indicated at '1and includes a cover portion 9 and a base portion l I. The container Imay be made of any suitable material, such as plastic or metal, andisjattractively designed and shaped so that it may be placed on a diningtable without the usual objection to placing a canon a dining table.

The lower end of the cover portion 9 is internally threaded at l3, andthe upper end of the base portion II is exteriorly threaded at l5 so asto provide a detachable and adjustable connection between the containerportions. A hermetically sealed can l6, for fluids or the like, isadapted to be disposed in the container 1. This is accomplished bydisconnecting the container cover and base portions 9 and l l andplacing the can in the base portion II. The cover portion 9 is thenthreaded onto the base portion so as to enclose the can I6.

The top wall I! of the container cover 9 is arcuate in cross section andis formed with a central, transversely extending, downwardly projectingrib or boss 19. v The top wall H, on each side of the rib I9, is formedwith a pair of transversely extending, spacedslots 21. The rib I9 isprovided with a pair of transversely spaced, vertical apertures 23.

Detachably mounted in the top wall ll of the container is a piercing anddispensing unit generally indicated at 25. The unit 25 includes anelongated platelike portion 21 which is slightly wider than thecontainer rib l9 and is adapted to abut and lie flat against theunderside of the rib [9. A pair of depending, hollow, pouring andpiercing elements 29 are secured in the platelike portion 21 adjacenteach end thereof so as to register with the container top wall openings23 when the platelike portion 21 abuts the underside of the rib 19. Apair of spaced, transversely extending walls 3| extend upwardly from theplate like portion 21, intermediate the longitudinal ends thereof, so asto project upwardly through the slots 2! in the top wall of thecontainer when the'platelike portion abuts the rib l9. The walls 3| andslots 2| are, of course, of substantially the same length. Theupper edgeof each of the walls 3| is'formed with an inturned flange 33, which,when the plate '21 abuts the underside of therib I9, is spaced above,and in an overlapping rela'-' tionship to, the upper surface of the ribl9. The unit '25 may be made of any suitable material, but preferably ismade of noncorrosive metal.

A slide valve, in the form of a thin, flexible, elongated plate 35, isdisposed between the upper surface of the rib I9 and the inturnedflanges 33 of the unit 25 for opening and closing the upper end of thecontainer openings 23. The slide valve 35 is arcuate in cross sectionand is curved so that when it is disposed between the upper surface ofthe container-rib l9 and the underside-of the flanges 33, it will becompressed against the upper surface of the rib l9 so as to be insliding and ing unit co-operate to detachably secure each other to thecover 9. When the slide valve 35 is moved out of engagement with theflanges 33,

the unit 25 will fall away from the container cover 9 so that the valve35 and the unit 25 may be washed and kept in a sanitary condition.

The slide valve 35 is of a shorter length than V the diameter of thecontainer top wall I! and is provided, adjacent each end thereof, with avent opening 39. A raised serrated portion M is provided in the centerof the slide valve 35 so that it may be engaged by the finger of a userto slide the valve 35 from one position to another. The vent openings 39are so correlated with the length of the slide valve 35 and thecontainer openings 23 that, when the slide valve is moved so as touncover one of the container openings 23, the vent opening 39 adjacentthe opposite end of the slide valve will register with the othercontainer opening 23 and thus vent the same so that the contents of thecan l6 may be more easily poured from the container. When the slidevalve 35 is moved to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, it willeffectively seal both of the container openings 23 so that no leakagewill occur and so that no dirt or other impurities will enter the canl5.

In operation, the container cover portion 9 is placed over the upperportion of the can I6. Manual downward pressure is then exerted on thecover so as to cause the piercing elements 29 to pierce the top of thecan. The container base portion II is then placed over the other end ofthe can and threaded into the cover portion 9 so as to completelyenclose the can. The slide valve 35 can then be moved to uncover one ofthe container openings 23 and its complementary piercing element 29, soas to permit the contents of the can IE to be poured therefrom. In orderto close the openings 23 the slide valve 35 is moved back by merelyapplying finger pressure on the raised serrated portion 4| and slidingthe valve along the upper surface of the container rib I9 until bothopenings 23 are covered.

It will, of course, be appreciated that any size container may beemployed in accordance with the size of the can which it is to receive,and any suitably designed or shaped container may be employed, whichwill be attractive in appearance and permit the container to be placedon a dining table so as to alleviate the unsightly appearance which isusually objected to when an exposed can is placed on the table.

I claim:

1. A container including a substantially closed upper wall having a pairof spaced openings therein, slide valve means engaging the upper surfaceof said container wall for selectively opening and closing said wallopenings, means detachably connected to said container wall for engagingsaid slide valve means and releasably retaining the latter in slidingand sealing engagement with the upper surface of said container wall,and a piercing element connected to said slide valve engaging.

2. A container including a substantially closed upper wall having anopening therein,a pair of interconnected hollow piercing elementsdisposed below said container wall, one of said piercing elements beingin registration with said wall opening, and means including valve meansfor selectively opening and closing said wall opening detachablyconnected to said container wall for supporting both of said piercingelements in said registered position and permitting said piercingelements to be detached as a unit from said cover for cleaning purposes.

3. A container including a substantially closed upper wall having a pairof spaced openings therein, slide valve means engaging the upper surfaceof said container wall for selectively opening and closing said wallopenings, a pair of hollow piercing elements disposed below saidcontainer upper g wall and in registration with said wall openings,

and means fixedly connected to said piercing element and detachablyconnected to said container wall for engaging said slide valve means andreleasably retaining the latter in sliding and sealing engagement withthe upper surface of said container wall, whereby said piercing elementsand said valve means may be removed from said container.

4. A container and dispensing device comprising a container including anupper wall having a pair of spaced openings therein, slide valve meansincluding a flexible plate engaging the upper surface of said containerwall and having a pair of spaced vent openings therein, said flexibleplate being shorter in length than the lateral extent of the upper wallof said container and having the vent openings therein arranged so thatwhen one endof said flexible plate uncovers one of said containeropenings the vent opening adjacent the other end of said flexible platewill register with and vent the other of said container openings, andmeans detachably connected to said container for retaining said flexibleplate in sliding andsealing engagement with the upper surface of saidcontainer wall.

5. A container'and dispensing device comprisinga container including anupper wall having a pair of spaced openings therein, hollow piercingelements disposed within said container in alignment with said wallopenings, a transverse- 1y extending flexible plate engaging the uppersurface of said container wall and having a pair of transversely spacedvent openings therein adapted to register with said container wallopenings, said plate vent openings being so arranged that when saidplate is moved so that one end thereof uncovers one of said containeropenings the vent opening adjacent the opposite end of said plate willregister with the other of said container openings and vent the same,and a member detachably connected to said container upper wall forsupporting said hollow piercing elements and for releasably retainingsaid flexible plate in sliding and sealing engagement with the uppersurface of said container wall.

6. A container and dispensing device comprising a container includingdetachably connected cover and base portions, said container coverportion including a substantially closed upper wall having a pair ofspaced openings therein, hollow piercing elements disposed within saidcontainer and adapted to be supported by the up per wall thereof, slidevalve means engaging the upper surface of said cover wall and includinga flexible plate adapted to open and close said container openings, anda member detachably connected to said cover which supports said hol-.low piercing, elementand releasably retains said flexible plate insliding and sealing engagement with the upper surface of said containerwall.

7. A container and dispensing device including a container composed ofupper cover and lower base portions having a threaded connectiontherebetween, said cover portion including an upper wall having atransversely extending downwardly projecting rib thereon, said coverwall having spaced transversely extending slots therein adjacent theopposite side faces of said rib, said rib having a pair of transverselyspaced apertures therein, a piercing and pouring unit detachablyconnected to the upper wall of said cover and including a platelikeportion abutting the underside of said cover rib,hollow piercingelements fixedly connected to and depending from said plate portion andregistering with said cover openings, spaced transversely extendingWalls projecting upwardly from said platelike portion through saidcontainer Wall slots, said walls having'inturned flanges disposed abovethe upper surfaceof said cover rib when said plate portion abuts theunderside of said rib, a slide valve including'a flexible plate ofcurved cross section disposed between the upper surface of said rib andthe underside of said inturned wall flanges so as to slidably andsealingly engage said container upper wall and open and close said wallopenings, said slide valve having a pair of transversely spaced ventopenings therein adapted to register singly with one of said containerwall openings, said slide valve being of a length so that when one endof said slide valve uncovers one end of said container wall openings thevalve vent opening adjacent the opposite end thereof will register withthe other of said container wall openings and vent the same.

EARL A. ABRAHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,113,270 Werner Oct. 13, 19141,980,433 Punte Nov. 13, 1934 2,160,976 Mirati June 6, 1939

